Nokia 2.1 Philippines Price is PHP 5,990 : Big Battery Smartphone That's Built To Last

In the face of stiff competition from Chinese and Pinoy handset brands, HMD Global - the new home of Nokia phones - has just released a couple of new and affordable Android smartphones in our country.

The more affordable model of the two is the Nokia 2.1, which has at least five things that are quite special about it aside from having a very affordable price tag of just PHP 5,990.

Built To Last - Nokia 2.1's midrange is crafted from real metal which makes it more durable and resilient against the knocks and bumps of daily use. The Nokia of old was known for making tough handsets and this one seems to continue that legacy.

Delivers Long Uptime - This smartphone is powered by a 4,000 mAh battery which is very large considering its display size and internal hardware. With this pack, you can easily get a whole day of uptime from this phone -- if not two days with regular use.

I would like to give credit to CNET Youtube Channel for all photos of the Nokia 2.1 that I used in this TechPinas blog post.

Features a Bigger Display - Compared to its predecessor, the Nokia 2.1 has a bigger 5.5-inch HD display that can surely deliver an enjoyable viewing experience when browsing websites, updating Facebook, as well as viewing photos and videos.

Has a Good Processor - Although I wish it had more RAM and larger internal storage, Nokia 2.1's Qualcomm Snapdragon 425 processor with Android 308 GPU is good enough to deliver a decent day to day mobile experience on the go.

Runs Android Go and Part of Android One Program - To maximize the performance of the phone's rather modest set of internal hardware, HMD Global had given this model an Android 8.1 Oreo Go Edition operating system, which is not so taxing on resources. With this, the company was able to limit lagging and stuttering on the device. Apart from that, this phone is also part of Google's Android One program, which means that it is guaranteed to receive firmware upgrades for at least two years -- giving another meaning to the phrase "Built To Last"

For aspiring mobile photographers who are tight on budget, I think Nokia 2.1's 8MP rear camera and 5MP front cam combo can be reliable in learning the basics. Like the phone's innards, they can not be called powerful but given the price of this model, they are good enough. Not stellar or beastly -- but quite decent.

So am I recommending this phone? If you're coming from a feature phone and you want to upgrade to a budget-friendly Android handset, this should be good first smartphone for you just to learn how Google's mobile OS works. I think this model would also make for a good secondary phone for iPhone or flagship Android smartphone owners who are looking for an extra Dual SIM handset that has a very big battery pack and an affordable price tag.

Nokia 2.1 Specs
153.6 x 77.6 x 9.7 mm
174 grams
5.5 inches HD 720 x 1280 pixels, 16:9 Aspect Ratio, 268 ppi, IPS Display
8 MegaPixels AF Rear Camera with LED Flash
5 MegaPixels Front Selfie Camera
Front and Back 720p Video Recorder
Android One
Android 8.1 Oreo Go Operating System
Quad-Core 1.4 GHz ARM Cortex-A53, Qualcomm MSM8917 Snapdragon 425 Processor
Adreno 308 GPU
1GB RAM
8GB ROM
Dedicated microSD Card Slot
WiFi 802.11 a/b/g/n
Bluetooth 4.2
4G LTE
Facial Recognition
Gyroscope
Dual nanoSIM
microUSB 2.0 Charging Port
Non-Removable Li-Ion 4,000 mAh Battery
Aluminum Midframe, Polycarbonate Back Plate, 2.5D Glass Face
Blue-Copper, Grey-Silver, Blue-Silver

Nokia 2.1 Price in the Philippines
Official SRP - PHP 5,990
Release Date in the Philippines: August 15, 2018